Power plant limits at center of Obama climate plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is taking climate change efforts into his own hands, proposing sweeping steps to limit heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Obama will unveil his climate plan Tuesday in a speech at Georgetown University. It's Obama's most prominent effort yet to deliver on one of his major priorities. None of the steps require congressional approval.

The linchpin of the plan is the first-ever carbon dioxide emission limits on new and existing power plants.

The White House says Obama hopes to generate enough electricity from renewable energy projects on public lands to power the equivalent of 6 million homes by 2020. He'll set higher goals for renewables installed at federal housing projects.

Obama is also announcing $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to spur investment in carbon-reducing technologies.